Artichoke Rounds

I've been to some great New Years Eve parties, for which I feel fortunate considering their tendency to be dismal affairs full of miserable, lonely party guests. One of these occasions involved my friend Ray and his delicious artichoke rounds, a gooey mixture of hot sharp cheese and savory artichokes on a crunchy bit of bread, the perfect compliment to all the champagne being passed around. 

Artichoke Rounds

1(14oz.) can artichoke hearts, well drained

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1 loaf soft bread (Wonder)

 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Drain artichokes, break into bite size pieces. Cut bread into rounds using a cookie cutter to stamp them out. Mix mayonnaise and cheese. Spread a small amount of mayo and cheese mixture on rounds, top with artichoke and cover with mayo and cheese mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes,  cheese should be melted and the bread golden on the edges. 

 

Bananas Foster and Apology Preserves

Last night I went to a cookout at Colin's place, made the usual round of hotdogs and burgers after multiple attempts to light the grill (cooking oil, alcohol, paper...) which were delicious. What was not so delicious was the Banana's Foster I made for Colin and Rachel. I burned the first batch, and almost burned the second batch, which came out in a manner that I can only describe as "chunky". I've made this recipe too many times for silly mistakes.  So much shame. Five ingredients. Shaaaammmmmmeee!

Note: My mother learned the recipe in New Orleans from the inventor of the recipe, this is the purest version out there. 

Banana's Foster

For 2

cinnamon

1/4stick of butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 bananas

1/2 cup Bacardi 151 rum (other golden rums will do, but this is the best)

Vanilla ice cream

In a large skillet, dash in a generous amount of cinnamon on medium high heat. When you can smell the cinnamon (you'll know, trust me), add the butter. After the butter has melted, add the brown sugar, and stir until the granules have dissolved. The sauce will start to turn into candy or burn  if you don't watch it carefully. Add the bananas, and stir to coat them in the sauce. Add the rum to the mixture and, using a long handled match or lighter, add flame to the pan to burn off the alcohol and caramelize the sugar. I have lit two people on fire during this process, friends don't let friends light for them. Remove from heat, and spoon the mixture over vanilla ice cream. Yay bananas!

To save culinary face, I am presenting my patient, wonderful friends with a jar of Apology Preserves. This may not be as good as Suck-Up Brownies or Boot-Licking Cake (use only in emergencies), but it does in a pinch. 

Apology Preserves

3 pints of strawberries- washed and hulled

2 cups of sugar

Place the hulled berries in a wide, deep pan, and mash into smaller pieces (not too small, chunks are fine). Cook on high for 10 minutes until it thickens, stirring frequently. Turn down the heat, add sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat to high again and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, place in decorative jars for the appropriate groveling appearance, and that's it. You've saved face! 

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

My friend Colin calls Rachel Ray, "SHE who must not be named" because she has an obnoxious sounding voice and zero taste buds left due to her extreme cigarette habit, but I'm willing to toss judgement to the wind this time in favor of an enticing sandwich.

You can really play around with the flavors in this recipe because it's a sort of assemblage of ingredients rather than a finished product. I would have used sourdough instead of white bread, or sour cream instead of creme fraiche, although I wouldn't make both those changes at the same time....too much sour. I made this with Mom, it's sort of new recipe week at the house.

Buffalo Club Sandwiches

From: Everyday with Rachel Ray, June/July 2009

Serves 4

8 slices bacon, peppered (we used applewood smoked, it lent a nice depth)

1 cup creme fraiche

1/2 blue cheese crumbles

1 small clove garlic, grated or finely chopped

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO, sounds like an Italian cow)

4 turkey cutlets or chicken cutlets (5 to 6 ounces each)

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup hot pepper sauce, preferably Frank's Red Hot

12 slices sandwich bread, toasted

8 leaves bibb or green-leaf lettuce

4 thick slices of tomato

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the bacon on a broiler pan and bake until crispy, 15 to 18 minutes. 

While the bacon is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the creme fraiche, blue cheese, garlic, mustard, parsley, and chives.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium high heat. Season the turkey with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook until golden, about four minutes on each side. Scoot the cutlets to the side of the pan, add the butter and heat until melted. Stir in the hot sauce and coat the cutlets; turn off the heat.

Layer each of 4 toast slices with a sauced turkey cutlet, another toast slice, a mound of the blue cheese spread, 2 criss-crossed slices of bacon, 2 lettuce leaves, 1 tomato slice, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a third toast slice. 

Yeah toast!

Toscani and the Meatball Pizza

I've also decided to do restaurant reviews on the site simply because I eat out frequently and there are a number of hidden places in my home town that are begging to be tried! One such place is Toscani, a little Italian number that is owned and operated by three generations of an Italian family: Grandma makes the food, Dad manages the restaurant, and Grandson serves. How cool is that?! They have a completely delicious menu from beginning to end with various types of pasta, stromboli, gourmet pizzas, and authentic desserts, as well as an extensive beer and wine list. My favorite thing to get and share is probably their meatball pizza, which comes on a crust that is coated with garlic butter and is that delightful combination of crunchy outside, chewy inside. The slices of meatballs on top are the size of a clementine, and contrast well with the melty cheese. Toscani is open every day except Sunday, and are located at 120 West Wayne Street. Go now!

Kraut Nuggets

"It's Wundebar!"

This is what my father said 500 times while we were at Germanfest tonight in my hometown, and I think I can share the sentiment, although for different reasons. Our fair city at one time had a large population of German immigrants that founded scores of Lutheran churches and societies, and their influence still holds today. One week in June every year we host wiener dog races (the little buggers are fast, don't be fooled by their shape), shapely-calf contests (I'm not sure what the criteria is, I hope hair isn't part of it), a beer tent, and polka dancing, all accompanied by delicious food. 

I sampled only a small portion of what was offered. The potato salad is always yummy, with large chunks of savory ham and creamy potatoes in a slightly sour vinaigrette, served hot. The bratwurst was fat and juicy, and became a more complex dish with a topping of onions and spicy brown horseradish mustard. Sadly, I was disappointed but the kuchen, a dessert bar-like sweet that was slightly sour, and was made with lifeless canned apples. I would have preferred some Black Forest cake or other strudel variation.  I was not brave enough to try the sauerkraut balls, but I don't think they'll be back on the menu next year. Perhaps a more appealing name? Kraut Nuggets anyone? 

                                       

   

 

                                          

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Cinnamon Rolls

This first recipe is seriously old, and has its roots in traditional Indiana farm cooking. A visit to most Hoosier grocery stores and farmer's markets will eventually turn up a funny-looking stack of sour stems that, when combined with sweet strawberries, make for an incredibly balanced pie.

Be forewarned: Rhubarb leaves are POISONOUS!!!! If you are using fresh rhubarb from the garden with the leaves still attached, make sure to cut far enough down the stem so that the leaves do not end up in the choppings. Hand contact will the leaves will not hurt you, only if you ingest them.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

2 cups cut-up fresh rhubarb, half inch pieces (1 lb)

1 pt. strawberries, cut in half (2 cups)

1 bs. butter

Milk and sugar

In large bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add rhubarb and strawberries, tossing lightly in the sugar/flour mixture. Let stand for 30 minutes. Make a two crust pie recipe (No, I am not giving away the secret crust recipe). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour filling into the pie crust in pie dish. Dot with thin slices of butter over the mixture. Moisten the edges of the crust with a little bit of water, and create a lattice pie crust over the top. Brush the top of the pie crust with milk, avoiding the edges (edges will burn), then sprinkle the top with a liberal amount of sugar. Bake for 50 minutes after placing the pie on a cookie sheet (tends to ooze over the edge).

Tips for the perfect lattice pie crust:

The lattice crust works well for this type of pie because it is sooo juicy, and the water from the fruit will evaporate more so with this type than a typical crust. After rolling out the bottom shell for your pie, take the remaining dough and roll out another circle of dough about the same size as the bottom shell. Using a sharp knife, cut strips of dough lengthwise about 3/4 to an inch wide. Starting with the two longest pieces of dough, make a cross in the middle of the pie. Take the next smallest sections and weave under. Continue weaving dough under and over so that it looks like a basket. Trim the edge of the pie, and push the edges down into the shell after it has been moistened with water.

Yay pie!

I'm sure you have dough left over, which means that there are crunchy, buttery cinnamon rolls to be made. I believe my great-grandmother used to make these, in pretty much the same way.

Crunchy Cinnamon Rolls

Roll out your remaining pie crust to crust thickness and width. Taking thin slices of real butter (not margarine! They didn't roll with that on the farm, yo!), place all over dough like polka-dots. Next, sprinkle the dough heavily with brown sugar, and do the same with cinnamon. Last, roll the dough tightly widthwise, like a jelly-roll, and make 1 inch thick slices with a sharp knife. Grease a pie dish, and place the rolls pin-wheel side facing up and packed tightly. Bake until light brown (yes, you have to watch them bake, no loafing.)

Yay cinnamon rolls!

In the Beginning, There Was Nom

Now that I've graduated, I have a lot of free time on my hands. The economy, being super-awesome, isn't giving me any special high fives or saying things like, "Man, this job is totally yours, you've got it bagged!" So, I've decided to spend my time cooking and trying out new things in my kitchen. I waited to start until now because I had hand surgery in May, which prevented me from doing any cooking-related activities until it healed. I got the OK from my doctor, and I'm ready to bust out the mixer!

This blog is specifically for testing, trading, and sharing recipes, and talking about food in general. Ideally, I would love to have my friends and family contribute to the site because I know a large number of ridiculously awesome bakers and cooks. All of the recipes I will be posting have been tested by myself or a friend/family. Enjoy the food, and happy nomming.